Magic Lantern - The Youth's Companion

The Youth's Companion
Perry Mason's Ideal Magic Lantern as a premium for the readers of a widely read American youth magazine.

The publisher of the American magazine The Youth's Companion was probably the first to use effectively the device of giving free, or very cheap, products for annual subscriptions. Those 'premiums' were given to new subscribers as well as to old subscribers for renewals. Subscribers could also buy a lot of attractive items: the magazines 'Premium List Number' contained pictures and descriptions of, among other things, Jack knives, camera's, books, conjuring tricks, steam engines, microscopes and watch fobs. One of the most attractive items was of course..... a real magic lantern!

In the 1890s subscribers who enlisted two new subscribers received the lantern for 45 cents postage and packing.

The magazine was published by Perry Mason and owned by Daniel S. Ford (1822-99).

		October 1887 issue of The Youth's Companion, filled with great promotional drawings and descriptions of premiums that could be bought or earned. These include books, camera's, dolls, tea sets, sporting equipment, tools, microscopes, toys and games, a magic lantern set, magic tricks, musical instruments, clothing, guns and so much more. Forty pages of fascinating details of merchandise and life in the late 1800s. Large magazine measures 11 x 16 inches (28 x 41 cm) and is published by Perry Mason & Co. Publishers of Boston, Mass.
The 'Ideal' magic lantern is twelve inches high with upright cylindrical design. Most lanterns have the text 'PAT.AUG.29.82 ' (Patent August 29, 1882) stencilled on the front. Some lanterns got the addition ' MADE ONLY FOR THE YOUTH'S COMPANION'.


	For 25 cents extra a Polyopticon Attachment could be obtained. This attachment changed the lantern into a kind of episcope, for projection of opaque, paper items. By holding a picture on paper against the open circular back of the attachment, the image could be projected on the screen.
	The Ideal magic lantern was fitted with an oil burner, supplied with a metal chimney containing a built-in condenser lens. The space between the lamp chimney and the metal of the lamp house guaranteed a good isolation from the heat, thus making the lantern safe for children's hands. On the brass knob that controls the wick it reads "VENUS E. M. & CO. MADE IN USA". The base of the oil lamp is also the base of the whole lantern.	A look inside the lantern. Left the inmost chimney with condenser lens, right the roof and outside chimney.
	Exploded view that makes it clear how the lamp with internal chimney was placed in the magic lantern. Two handles on the back made it easy to place the body upon the base of the oil lamp. A similar-shaped model was 16 inches tall and was called 'Ruby'.
		In the early years of the 20th century, the popular English magazine Boy's Own Paper brought out a special magic lantern too. The prominent supplier of lanterns and slides W. Butcher & Sons supplied this lantern in three slightly different models. The metal bodies are painted green and carry a Boy's Own transfer on the side.
By the way, the American author Erle Stanley Gardner named his famous hero, the lawyer-detective Perry Mason, after this company, remembering the name from his childhood. Gardner wrote more then eighty novels about Perry Mason. Many stories were adapted for radio, television and motion pictures.